MLB Ejections 130-1 - Carapazza, Lentz (NYY-STL x2)

3B Umpire Vic Carapazza ejected Yankees coach Tanner Swanson and HP Umpire Nic Lentz ejected Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol (balls/strikes to Trent Grisham) in the 3rd and 7th inning of the #Yankees-#Cardinals game. In the 3rd, with one out and two on, Yankees batter Trent Grisham took a 2-2 sinker from Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikolas for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located off the inner edge of home plate and thigh-high (px 1.13, pz 2.61), the call was incorrect. At the time of the ejection, the Yankees were leading, 3-0. In the 7th, with none out and none on, Yankees batter Grisham took 1-1 and 2-1 pitches from Cardinals pitcher Kyle Leahy for called second and third balls. Replays indicate the 1-1 pitch was located over the outer half of home plate and below the midpoint (px -0.42, pz 3.63) while the 2-1 pitch was located over the outer edge of home plate and below the midpoint (px -0.64, pz 3.41 [sz_top 3.58]), the call was incorrect. At the time of the ejection, the Cardinals were leading, 4-3. The Yankees ultimately won the contest, 8-4.

This is Vic Carapazza (19)'s 2nd ejection of 2025.

This is Nic Lentz (59)'s 3rd ejection of 2025.

These are the 130th and 131st ejections of 2025.

This is the 70th manager ejection of 2025. 

This is the 23rd coach ejection of 2025. Ejection Tally: 70 Managers, 23 Coaches, 38 Players.

This is New York's 12th ejection of 2025, 1st in the AL East (NYY 12; BOS 7; TOR 6; BAL 5; TB 4).

This is St Louis' 5th ejection of 2025, 2nd in the NL Central (CHC 6; PIT, STL 5; CIN 4; MIL 2).

This is Tanner Swanson's first career MLB ejection.

This is Oliver Marmol's 5th ejection of 2025, 1st since July 13 (Brennan Miller; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

This is Vic Carapazza's 2nd ejection of 2025, 1st since August 1 (Bryce Harper; QOC = U [Check Swing]).

This is Nic Lentz's 3rd ejection of 2025, 1st since June 1 (Taylor Walls; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: New York Yankees vs St Louis Cardinals, 8/17/25 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 058 - Nic Lentz (2; Taylor Walls)

HP Umpire Nic Lentz ejected Rays SS Taylor Walls (strike one call; QOCY) in the top of the 9th inning of the #Rays-#Astros game. With one out and none on, Rays batter Walls took a 0-0 slider from Astros pitcher Josh Hader for a called first strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the outer edge of home plate and at the hollow beneath the knee (px 0.73, pz 1.45 [sz_bot 1.53 / RAD 1.41]), the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Astros were leading, 1-0. The Astros ultimately won the contest, 1-0.

 

This is Nic Lentz (59)'s 2nd ejection of 2025.

*This pitch was located 1.68 vertical inches from being deemed incorrect.

This is the 58th ejection report of the 2025 MLB regular season.

This is the 17th player ejection of 2025. Ejection Tally: 30 Managers, 11 Coaches, 17 Players.This is Tampa Bay's 3rd ejection of 2025, 4th in the AL East (BAL, NYY, TB, TOR 3; BOS 2).

This is Taylor Walls' first career MLB ejection.

This is Nic Lentz's 2nd ejection of 2025, 1st since April 7 (Rocco Baldelli; QOC = Y [Pitch Clock]).

Wrap: Tampa Bay Rays vs Houston Astros, 6/1/25 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 003 - Nic Lentz (1; Rocco Baldelli)

HP Umpire Nic Lentz ejected Twins manager Rocco Baldelli (pitch clock violation ball four call that was actually a quick pitch; QOCY) in the bottom of the 6th inning of the #Twins-#Royals game. With two out and none on, Royals batter Jonathan India prepared for a 3-2 pitch from Twins pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson, who motioned to his PitchCom system to indicate a potential malfunction before re-engaging and rushing a delivery prior to the expiration of the pitch timer, resulting in a violation call by HP Umpire Lentz. Replays indicate the pitcher timer appeared to show two seconds remaining when Woods Richardson re-engaged and began his rushed delivery, while the batter was not reasonably set after the pitcher's disengagement seconds earlier, the call was correct. At the time of the ejection, the Royals were leading, 4-1. The Royals ultimately won the contest, 4-2.

This is Nic Lentz (59)'s 1st ejection of 2025.

Official Baseball Rule 6.02(a)(5): "A quick pitch is an illegal pitch. Umpires will judge a quick pitch as one delivered before the batter is reasonably set in the batter’s box. With runners on base the penalty is a balk; with no runners on base, it is a ball. The quick pitch is dangerous and should not be permitted."

OBR Definition: "An ILLEGAL PITCH is (1) a pitch delivered to the batter when the pitcher does not have his pivot foot in contact with the pitcher’s plate; (2) a quick return pitch. An illegal pitch when runners are on base is a balk."

OBR Definition: "A QUICK RETURN pitch is one made with obvious intent to catch a batter off balance. It is an illegal pitch."

This is the 3rd ejection report of the 2025 MLB regular season.

This is the 1st manager ejection of 2025. Ejection Tally: 1 Managers, 1 Coach, 1 Players.

This is Minnesota's 1st ejection of 2025, 1st in the AL Central (MIN 1; CWS, CLE, DET, KC 0).

This is Rocco Baldelli's 1st ejection since August 25, 2023 (Carlos Torres; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

This is Nic Lentz's 1st ejection since August 13, 2023 (Oscar Marin; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Minnesota Twins vs Kansas City Royals, 4/7/25 | Video as follows:

Angel Again? Step-Off Disengagement Delivery Strikeout

After HP Umpire Angel Hernandez called Yankees batter Gleyber Torres out on strikes in the 1st inning vs Toronto, New York manager Aaron Boone argued the strikeout shouldn't count because Blue Jays pitcher Bowden Francis stepped off the rubber during his delivery, causing Torres to back out of the box.

This disengagement delivery involves two main components: #1, replays indicate pitcher Francis disengaged his pivot foot from the pitcher's plate during delivery, quickly re-engaging and firing home for a called strike three, which (#2) the television on-screen strikeout graphics indicate was located outside (and above) the strike zone.

Let's tackle the strike zone location issue first. When batter Torres stepped back in the batter's box during the pitch sequence, his stance as the pitch neared home plate remained similar to his standing stance—e.g., there was no "crouch" as expected during most pitches. This is reflected by the adjusted computer strike zone data as well as online zone visualizations, all of which agree the pitch was a strike, given Torres' elevated strike zone due to standing back in the batter's box. The location issue was officiated properly.

As for the disengagement issue, we note that all pitches must be made with the pivot foot in (reasonable) contact with the rubber/pitcher's plate. If runners are on base and a pitcher's foot slips and they interrupt delivery, this can be called a start-stop balk pursuant to Official Baseball Rule 6.02(a)(1). But if the bases are empty, there's no penalty other than to allow the pitcher to reset the play, re-engage, and retry the pitch.

...except that as of 2023, we have a pitch clock which means the pitcher might well be under a time crunch that prevents them from properly resetting the play. That appears to be what happened here: pitcher Francis had just three seconds remaining after the inadvertent disengagement, meaning he didn't have time to recover and retry from scratch.

Instead, Francis quickly re-engaged and threw. We now refer to OBR 5.07(a) and 6.02(a)(5), both of which concern an illegal pitch known as the quick pitch: "A quick pitch is an illegal pitch. Umpires will judge a quick pitch as one delivered before the batter is reasonably set in the batter’s box. With runners on base the penalty is a balk; with no runners on base, it is a ball. The quick pitch is dangerous and should not be permitted."

A central component of the quick pitch, however, is spelled out in OBR 5.07(a)(2) Comment: "If, however, in the umpire’s judgment, a pitcher delivers the ball in a deliberate effort to catch the batter off guard, this delivery shall be deemed a quick pitch, for which the penalty is a ball."

It would appear the pitcher did not intend to catch the batter off guard (also, the batter was somewhat reasonably set already) as much as he was rushing in an attempt to catch his own mistake of his pivot foot slipping off the rubber. A common sense approach to this play would be to declare "Time" and simply hit the reset button—no strike three call, no automatic ball, just a redo. This is the fairest outcome. Except the pitch clock was at the three-second mark when Francis slipped off the rubber, so the most likely outcome here would be a pitch clock violation on the pitcher and automatic ball for that reason.

As for who might see this, a pitcher out of Set (or even Hybrid) may have their back or pivot foot out of view of the home plate umpire, who would have to look through the front/free foot or leg to see the pivot foot slipping off the rubber. That's where the 1B and 3B Umpires can help—big time. What appears to have occurred here is 1B Umpire Nic Lentz and/or 3B Umpire and Crew Chief Lance Barksdale observed the disengagement, but also knew that with no runners on, there really isn't a penalty per se for it (not withstanding the pitch timer violation). Unfortunately, no one on the crew seemed to take it a step further to 1) the pitch clock issue, or 2) the quick pitch issue.

Instead, the crew, which did not put the entire play together, allowed the strikeout to stand.

Video as follows:

MLB Ejections 197-9 - Nic Lentz (6-8; PIT x3)

HP Umpire Nic Lentz ejected Pirates manager Derek Shelton, bench coach Don Kelly, and pitching coach Oscar Marin (ball four call to Luke Maile; QOCY) in the top of the 6th inning of the #Reds-#Pirates game. With two out and two on, Maile took a 3-2 fastball from Pirates pitcher Cody Bolton for a called fourth ball. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the inner edge of home plate and above the midpoint (px -0.78, pz 3.61 [sz_top 3.14 / RAD 3.26]), the call was correct. At the time of the ejection, the Pirates were leading, 4-3. The Reds ultimately won the contest, 6-5, in 10 innings.

These are Nic Lentz (59)'s sixth, seventh, and eighth ejections of 2023.

*This pitch was located 5.20 vertical inches from being deemed incorrect.

These are the 197th, 198th, and 199th ejection reports of the 2023 MLB regular season.

This is the 90th manager ejection of 2023. These are the 28th and 29th coach ejections of 2023.

Ejection Tally: 90 Managers, 80 Players, 29 Coaches.

This is Pittsburgh's 8/9/10th ejection of 2023, T-1st in the NL Central (PIT, STL 10; MIL 8; CHC, CIN 7).

This is Derek Shelton's 3rd ejection of 2023, 1st since July 25 (H Wendelstedt; QOC = U [Throwing At]).

This is Oscar Marin's first career MLB ejection.

This is Don Kelly's first career MLB ejection.

This is Nic Lentz's 6/7/8th ejection of 2023, 1st since July 14 (David Popkins; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Cincinnati Reds vs Pittsburgh Pirates, 8/13/23 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 147 - Nic Lentz (5; David Popkins)

HP Umpire Nic Lentz ejected Twins hitting coach David Popkins (strike three call to Joey Gallo; QOCY) in the top of the 7th inning of the #Twins-#Athletics game. With none out and none on, Twins batter Gallo took a 3-2 changeup from A's pitcher Lucas Erceg for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the inner half of home plate and above the hollow of the knee (px 0.28, pz 1.60 [sz_bot 1.65 / RAD 1.53), the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the 

This is Nic Lentz (59)'s 5th ejection of 2023.

*This pitch was located 1.80 vertical inches from being deemed incorrect.

This is the 147th ejection report of the 2023 MLB regular season.

This is the 18th coach ejection of 2023. Ejection Tally: 68 Managers, 61 Players, 18 Coaches.

This is Minnesota's 9th ejection of 2023, 1st in the AL Central (MIN 9; CWS 8; DET, KC 3; CLE 0).

This is David Popkins' first career MLB ejection.

This is Nic Lentz's 5th ejection of 2023, 1st since June 28 (Steven Wilson; QOC = Y-c [Check Swing]).

Wrap: Minnesota Twins vs Oakland Athletics, 7/14/23 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejections 122-4 - Chad Fairchild, Nic Lentz (SD x3)

HP Umpire Chad Fairchild ejected Padres manager Bob Melvin and 1B Umpire Nic Lentz ejected pitcher Nick Martinez and bench player/pitcher Steven Wilson (check swing HBP/no bunt attempt call by 1B Umpire Lentz & confirmed Replay Review; QOCY) in the bottom of the 7th inning of the #Padres-#Pirates game. With none out and two on, Pirates batter Jared Triolo attempted to avoid being touched by a 2-1 sinker from Padres pitcher Nick Martinez after initially showing bunt, ruled a hit-by-pitch by HP Umpire Fairchild and affirmed as no swing/bunt on appeal by 1B Umpire Nic Lentz. The HBP call was furthermore confirmed via Replay Review as the result of a challenge by Padres manager Melvin. At the time of the ejection, the Pirates were leading, 2-1. The Pirates ultimately won the contest, 7-1.

This is Chad Fairchild (4)'s 1st ejection of 2023.

These are Nic Lentz (59)'s 3rd and 4th ejections of 2023.

These are the 122nd, 123rd, and 124th ejection reports of the 2023 MLB regular season.

This is the 60th manager ejection of 2023. These are the 50th and 51st player ejections of 2023.

Ejection Tally: 60 Managers, 51 Players, 13 Coaches.

This is San Diego's 5/6/7th ejection of 2023, T-1st in the NL West (ARI, SD 7; COL 4; LAD 3; SF 0).

This is Bob Melvin's 4th ejection of 2023, 1st since June 21 (Manny Gonzalez; QOC = Y [Replay Review]).

This is Nick Martinez's first career MLB ejection.

This is Steven Wilson's first career MLB ejection.

This is Chad Fairchild's 1st ejection since Sept 17, 2022 (Austin Romine; QOC = Y [Interference NC]).

This is Nic Lentz's 3rd ejection of 2023, 1st since May 17 (AJ Hinch; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: San Diego Padres vs Pittsburgh Pirates, 6/28/23 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 067 - Nic Lentz (2; AJ Hinch)

HP Umpire Nic Lentz ejected Tigers manager AJ Hinch (strike three call; QOCY) in the bottom of the 4th inning of the #Pirates-#Tigers game. With one out and one on (R1), Tigers batter Eric Haase took 2-0 and 2-2 cutters from Pirates pitcher Rich Hill for called first and third strikes. Replays indicate the 2-0 pitch was located over the inner edge of home plate and thigh high while the 2-2 pitch was located over the outer edge of home plate and below the midpoint (strike one: px -0.78, pz 1.97 [sz_bot 1.50]; strike three: px -0.73, pz 2.84 [sz_top 3.22]), the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Pirates were leading, 3-0. The Pirates ultimately won the contest, 8-0.

This is Nic Lentz (59)'s 2nd ejection of 2023.

*UEFL Rule 6-2-b-1 (Kulpa Rule): |0| < STRIKE < |.748| < BORDERLINE < |.914| < BALL.

K1 was located 1.61 horiz and K3 was located 2.21 horizontal inches from being deemed incorrect.

This is the 67th ejection report of the 2023 MLB regular season.

This is the 31st manager ejection of 2023. Ejection Tally: 31 Managers, 29 Players, 7 Coaches.

This is Detroit's 1st ejection of 2023, 4th in the AL Central (CWS 4; MIN 3; KC 2; DET 1; CLE 0).

This is AJ Hinch's 1st ejection since August 13, 2022 (Jerry Layne; QOC = Y [Replay Review]).

This is Nic Lentz's 2nd ejection of 2023, 1st since April 5 (Kevin Long; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Pittsburgh Pirates vs Detroit Tigers, 5/17/23 | Video as follows:

Ejection 003 - Nic Lentz (1; Kevin Long)

HP Umpire Nic Lentz ejected Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long (strike one call; QOCN) in the top of the 5th inning of the #Yankees-#Phillies game. With two out and one on, Phillies batter Jake Cave took a first-pitch knuckle curve from Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole for a called first strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the inner half of home plate and below the hollow of the knee (px -0.52, pz 1.30 [sz_bot 1.54 / RAD 1.42 / MOE 1.33]), the call was incorrect.* At the time of the ejection, the Yankees were leading, 1-0. The Yankees ultimately won the contest, 4-2.

This is Nic Lentz (59)'s 1st ejection of 2023.

*This pitch was located 0.41 vertical inches from being considered a correct call.

The Nick Castellanos ball/strike calls are not eligible for QOC consideration for this ejection.

This is the 3rd ejection report of the 2023 MLB regular season.

This is the 1st non-manager coach ejection of 2023.

This is Philadelphia's 1st ejection of 2023, 1st in the NL East (PHI 1; ATL, MIA, NYM, WAS 0).

This is Kevin Long's 1st ejection since Sept 22, 2022 (Andy Fletcher; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

This is Nic Lentz's 1st ejection since June 23, 2022 (Seth Brown; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Philadelphia Phillies vs New York Yankees, 4/5/23 | Video as follows:

A Foul Ball off the Protective Netting - Wall Physics

Atlanta had to wait just a bit longer for Bryce Harper to make the third and final out of NLDS Game 2 vs Philadelphia after HP Umpire Nic Lentz ruled an earlier foul fly ball by the Phillies batter dead and out of play, with the baseball contacting the protective netting behind home plate before Braves catcher Travis d'Arnaud could catch it.

The primary clue of a ball having struck a wall or scraped a fence is whether the ball suddenly changes direction when coming back toward the playing surface. Physically speaking, as well, projectile dymanics as well as spin rate and wind speed + direction all play a role in officiating this play.

In this case, video doesn't appear to show where exactly the ball was relative to the boundary—Lentz's position along the fence-line is the optimal angle for officiating this play and better than any TV camera.

For that reason, Replay Review ultimately ruled "call stands" due to a lack of clear and convincing video evidence to prove either potentiality. A few pitches later, Kenley Jansen struck out batter Harper to end the game.

Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 076 - Nic Lentz (2; Seth Brown)

HP Umpire Nic Lentz ejected Athletics 1B Seth Brown (strike three call; QOCN) after the bottom of the 9th inning of the #Mariners-#Athletics game. With two out and none on, Brown took a 2-2 slider from Mariners pitcher Paul Sewald for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the outer edge of home plate and below the hollow of the knee (px -0.83, pz 1.46 [sz_bot 1.72 / RAD 1.60 / MOE 1.51]), the call was incorrect.* At the time of the ejection, the Mariners had won the contest, 2-1.

This is Nic Lentz (59)'s 2nd ejection of 2022.

Nic Lentz now has 2 points in the UEFL Standings (4 Prev + 2 MLB - 4 Incorrect Call = 2).

Crew Chief Laz Diaz now has 2 points in Crew Division (2 Previous + 0 Incorrect Call = 2).

*This pitch was located 0.60 vertical inches from being deemed correct.

^This would be considered a post-participation ejection under NCAA rules, meaning the ejection would be served in the team's next contest. For OBR, however, this is a standard on-field ejection.

This is the 76th ejection report of the 2022 MLB regular season.

This is the 23rd player ejection of 2022. Prior to ejection, Brown was 1-4 (2 SO) in the contest.

This is Oakland's 4th ejection of 2022, 2nd in the AL West (HOU 5; OAK 4; LAA, SEA 3; TEX 0).

This is Seth Brown's first career MLB ejection.

This is Nic Lentz's 2nd ejection of 2022, 1st since April 30 (Charlie Montoyo; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Seattle Mariners vs. Oakland Athletics, 6/23/22 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 019 - Nic Lentz (1; Charlie Montoyo)

HP Umpire Nic Lentz ejected Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo (strike three call; QOCY) in the bottom of the 5th inning of the #Astros-#BlueJays game. With two out and one on (R2), Blue Jays batter Vladimir Guerrero took a 1-2 fastball from Astros pitcher Luis Garcia for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the heart of home plate and above the hollow of the knee (px 0.15, pz 1.76 [sz_bot 1.66 / RAD 1.54]), the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Blue Jays were leading, 2-1. The Blue Jays ultimately won the contest, 2-1.

This is Nic Lentz (59)'s 1st ejection of 2022.
Nic Lentz now has 4 points in the UEFL Standings (0 Prev + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 4).
Crew Chief Ted Barrett now has 3 points in Crew Division (2 Previous + 1 Correct Call = 3).

*This pitch was located 3.64 vertical inches from being deemed incorrect.

This is the 19th ejection report of the 2022 MLB regular season.

This is the 8th manager ejection of 2022.

This is Toronto's 2nd ejection of 2022, T-1st in the AL East (BAL, TOR 2; NYY, TB 1; BOS 0).

This is Charlie Montoyo's 2nd ejection of 2022, 1st since April 16 (Jeff Nelson; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

This is Nic Lentz's 1st ejection since August 18, 2021 (Lance Lynn; QOC = U [Foreign Substance]).

Wrap: Houston Astros vs. Toronto Blue Jays, 4/30/22 | Video as follows:

Kulpa-Lentz's Obstruction Shades of Joyce-DeMuth

Sunday's Red Sox-Indians game featured an 8th-inning obstruction call as HP Umpire Nic Lentz awarded Cleveland baserunner Oscar Mercado home plate after 3B Umpire Ron Kulpa's obstruction call moments earlier, harkening back to the 2013 World Series when Jim Joyce and Dana DeMuth combined to make a similar call to end Game 3 on a walk-off obstruction error.

Play & Call: In Cleveland, with two out and one on (R1), Indians batter Yu Chang hit a 1-0 fastball from Red Sox pitcher Austin Davis on the ground to left fielder Kyle Schwarber. As R1 Mercado rounded second base, he collided with Boston second baseman Yairo Muñoz, drawing an obstruction call from 3B Umpire Kulpa, signaled by pointing at the infraction and keeping play alive, since the obstruction occurred on a runner whom a play was not being made at the moment of obstruction.

Play Call Part 2:When Mercado arrived at home plate and it looked as if Boston catcher Kevin Plawecki would easily tag him out, HP Umpire Lentz called "Time" and acknowledged the obstruction, awarding Mercado home plate to nullify the act, having ruled that absent obstruction, Mercado would have scored.

Official Baseball Rule 6.02(h)(2) aka Obstruction B or Type 2 states that, "If no play is being made on the obstructed runner, the play shall proceed until no further action is possible. The umpire shall then call “Time” and impose such penalties, if any, as in their judgment will nullify the act of obstruction."

Related Post: Reviewing Jim Joyce's Game-Ending Obstruction Call (10/26/13).

In turn, the umpires properly officiated this obstruction sequence—a true World Series call.

Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 136 - Nic Lentz (3; Lance Lynn)

3B Umpire Nic Lentz ejected White Sox pitcher Lance Lynn (failure to comply with foreign substance check/throwing belt at umpire; QOCU) in the top of the 4th inning of the #Athletics-#WhiteSox game. Following the final out of the top of the 4th inning, umpires attempted to conduct a league-mandated foreign substance check of White Sox starting pitcher Lynn. During this inspection, Lynn appeared to initially fail to submit his belt for inspection; upon instruction from Lentz, Lynn appeared to throw his belt at the umpire, resulting in his ejection, the call was irrecusable. At the time of the ejection, the game was tied, 1-1. The White Sox ultimately won the contest, 3-2.

This is Nic Lentz (59)'s 3rd ejection of 2021.

Nic Lentz now has 1 point in the UEFL Standings (-1 Prev + 2 MLB + 0 Irrecusable Call = 1).

Crew Chief Ron Kulpa now has 9 points in Crew Division (8 Previous + 1 QOCU = 9).

This is the 136th ejection report of the 2021 MLB regular season.

This is the 53rd player ejection of 2021. Prior to ejection, Lynn's line was 4.0 IP, ER.

This is Chicago's 6th ejection of 2021, 1st in the AL Central (CWS 6; KC, MIN 4; CLE 2; DET 0).

This is Lance Lynn's first career MLB ejection.

This is Nick Lentz' 3rd ejection of 2021, 1st since July 5 (David Ross; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Oakland Athletics vs. Chicago White Sox, 8/18/21 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 090 - Nic Lentz (2; David Ross)

HP Umpire Nic Lentz ejected Cubs manager David Ross (ball four call; QOCY) in the top of the 6th inning of the #Phillies-#Cubs game. With none out and none on, Phillies batter Bryce Harper took a 3-2 fastball from Cubs pitcher Rex Brothers for a called fourth ball. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the heart of home plate and below the hollow of the knee (px -0.36, pz 1.43 [sz_bot 1.60 / RAD 1.48 / MOE 1.56]) and that all other pitches during the at-bat were properly officiated, the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the game was tied, 2-2. The Phillies ultimately won the contest, 13-3.

This is Nic Lentz (59)'s 2nd ejection of 2021.

Nic Lentz now has 3 points in the UEFL Standings (-1 Prev + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 3).

Crew Chief Joe West now has 0 points in Crew Division (-1 Previous + 1 Correct Call = 0).

*This pitch was located 1.56 vertical inches from being deemed incorrect.

This is the 90th ejection report of the 2021 MLB regular season.

This is the 45th manager ejection of 2021.

This is Chicago's 4th ejection of 2021, 3rd in the NL Central (MIL 7; CIN 6; CHC 4; PIT 3; STL 2).

This is David Ross' 3rd ejection of 2021, 1st since May 23 (Erich Bacchus; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

This is Nic Lentz's 2nd ejection of 2021, 1st since May 8 (Jayce Tingler; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Chicago Cubs, 7/5/21 | Video as follows:

Teachable - Lentz Takes the Time on SB Attempt

In this Teachable Moment, tmac looks at 2B Umpire Nic Lentz' officiating of a stolen base attempt at second during a Cardinals-White Sox game. When St. Louis baserunner Edmundo Sosa attempts to steal, Chicago catcher Yasmani Grandal throws to shortstop Tim Anderson, who attempts to keep the tag on Sosa as he completes the slide...but did he overslide?

On a play that goes to Replay Review and comes back as confirmed as signaled by Crew Chief Joe West, Lentz quickly adjusts his positioning at second base to gain the optimum angle to officiate this play and to see whether runner Sosa will be able to remain on the bag or not.

As fate would have it, Sosa overslides, Anderson tags Sosa while the runner is not in contact with second base, and the play is officiated and reviewed in an easier fashion than might otherwise appear had proper timing not been involved.

Video as follows:

Last Time By Touch Failure Costs Texas on Base Appeal

When 3B Umpire Nic Lentz declared Rangers runner Adolis Garcia out at third on Los Angeles' base touch appeal, he invoked Official Baseball Rule 5.09(c)(2) and the 'last time by' principle for base running to give the Dodgers its second successful base touch appeal in less than a week. Unlike Tuesday's game in Pittsburgh, however, this nullified run did not matter as Texas ultimately won the contest, 12-1.

With one out and Garcia on second base, Rangers batter Joey Gallo hit a 0-1 slider from Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer into the outfield. Perhaps thinking right fielder Zach McKinstry had caught the ball (it bounced), Garcia first touched third base before retreating toward second without retouching third, and finally running home to score, also without touching third base. The Dodgers appealed and 3B Umpire Lentz ruled Garcia out for a violation of OBR 5.09(c)(2): "With the ball in play, while advancing or returning to a base, they fail to touch each base in order before they, or a missed base, is tagged."

To understand why Garcia's baserunning was illegal requires an understanding of two points: passing a base and the last time by principle.

Passing a Base: As we've discussed several times, pursuant to the MLB Umpire Manual, "A runner is considered to have passed a base if they both feet on the ground beyond the back edge of the base or beyond the edge of the base in the direction to which he is advancing." The accompanying annotation of Garcia near third base indicates that after initially passing third base (and touching it), Garcia retreated back toward second and un-passed (backward/retreated) third base, meaning he was now positioned prior to third. Following this action, Garcia again passed (forward/advanced) third base en route to home plate, only this time, without touching third base.

Last Time By: Having established that Garcia passed third base, retreated to a position prior to third base, and then passed third base again, we turn to the "last time by" principle. The MLBUM states the following regarding a runner who touches a base in advancing, but misses retouching the base on the runner's way back to a prior base, only to again touch the base in advancing once again: "If the runner retouches first and then second in advancing to the awarded base, the runner’s failure to touch second base in returning to first is “corrected” under the theory that touching the base the “last time by” corrects any previous error."

In other words, this is what happened: Garcia touched and ran past third base. After passing third base, Garcia retreated back toward second base and in doing so un-passed third base without retouching it. After establishing his position prior to third base (on the second base side of the bag), Garcia again passed third base, only this time, he failed to touch the base.

Under "last time by," Garcia was properly declared out on appeal for failing to touch third base on his last time by the base, which supersedes the touching action that occurred prior to that last time by act. Had Garcia touched third base on his way to home plate (his last time by), he would have effectively nullified his illegal failure to touch the base on his brief retreat toward second base and rendered the Dodgers' appeal meritless, for a runner's base touch legality depends on what such a runner does on their last time by.

Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 033 - Nic Lentz (1; Jayce Tingler)

HP Umpire Nic Lentz ejected Padres manager Jayce Tingler (strike three call; QOCY) in the top of the 6th inning of the #Padres-#Giants game. With one out and one on (R1), Padres batter Manny Machado took a 2-2 fastball from Giants pitcher Kevin Gausman for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the outer half of home plate and above the knee (px 0.48, pz 1.72 [sz_bot 1.59 / RAD 1.47]) and that all other pitches during the at-bat were properly officiated, the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Giants were leading, 4-1. The Giants ultimately won the contest, 7-1.

This is Nic Lentz (59)'s first ejection of 2021.
Nic Lentz now has 6 points in the UEFL Standings (2 Prev + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 6).
Crew Chief Joe West now has 7 points in Crew Division (6 Previous + 1 Correct Call = 7).

*This pitch was located 4.03 vertical inches from being deemed incorrect.

This is the 33rd ejection report of the 2021 MLB regular season.

This is the 18th manager ejection of 2021.

This is San Diego's 3rd ejection of 2021, 1st in the NL West (SD 3; COL 2; LAD, SF 1; ARI 0).

This is Jayce Tingler's 2nd ejection of 2021, 1st since April 21 (Tom Hallion; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

This is Nic Lentz's 1st ejection since August 29, 2020 (David Ross; QOC = U [Warnings]).

Wrap: San Diego Padres vs. San Francisco Giants, 5/8/21 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejections 39-43 - Lentz, Bellino (CHC-CIN)

HP Umpire Nic Lentz ejected Cubs Catching Coach Mike Borzello and Manager David Ross (warnings) and 1B Umpire Dan Bellino ejected Reds DH Joey Votto, LF Jesse Winker, and Manager David Bell (fighting) in the 4th inning of the #Cubs-#Reds game. In the top of the 4th, with none out and none on, Cubs batter Anthony Rizzo took a first-pitch sinker from Reds pitcher Tejay Antone for a called ball, resulting in warnings issued to both teams following crew consultation. Replays indicate the pitch was located off the inner edge of home plate and above Rizzo's head, the call was irrecusable. At the time of the Cubs' ejections, the Reds were leading, 4-1.

In the bottom of the 4th, with none out and one on (R1), Reds batter Shogo Akiyama took a 2-1 fastball from Cubs pitcher Adbert Alzolay for a called third ball, resulting in crew consultation and a benches-clearing incident. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the heart of home plate and above the height of Akiyama's head, the call was irrecusable. At the time of the Reds' ejections, the Reds were leading, 4-3. The Reds ultimately won the contest, 6-5, in 7 innings.

These are Nic Lentz (59)'s first and second ejections of 2020.
These are Dan Bellino (2)'s first, second, and third ejections of 2020.
Nic Lentz now has 5 points in the UEFL Standings (1 Prev + 2*[2 MLB + 0 Irrecusable Call] = 5).
Dan Bellino now has 5 points in the UEFL Standings (-1 Prev + 3*[2 MLB + 0 Irrecusable] = 5).
Crew Chief Angel Hernandez now has 12 points in Crew Division (7 Previous + 5*[1 QOCU] = 12).
*Official Baseball Rule 6.02(c)(9) [Intentionally Pitch at the Batter]: "If, in the umpire’s judgment, such a violation occurs, the umpire may elect either to: (A) Expel the pitcher, or the manager and the pitcher, from the game, or (B) may warn the pitcher and the manager of both teams that another such pitch will result in the immediate expulsion of that pitcher (or a replacement) and the manager. If, in the umpire’s judgment, circumstances warrant, both teams may be officially “warned” prior to the game or at any time during the game."

These are the 39th, 40th, 41st, 42nd, and 43rd ejection reports of the 2020 MLB regular season.
These are the 17th and 18th Manager ejections of 2020.
These are the 18th and 19th player ejections of 2020.
Prior to ejection, Votto was 1-2 and Winker was 1-2 in the contest.
This is Chicago's 2/3rd ejection of 2020, T-2nd in the NL Central (CIN 6; CHC, PIT 3; MIL 1; STL 0).
This is Cincinnati's 4/5/6th ejection of 2020, 1st in the NL Central (CIN 6; CHC, PIT 3; MIL 1; STL 0).
This is Mike Borzello's first career MLB ejection.
This is David Ross' 1st ejection since July 20, 2015 (Paul Schrieber; QOC = N [Check Swing]).
This is David Bell's 3rd ejection of 2020, 1st since Aug 25 (Shane Livensparger; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).
This is Joey Votto's 2nd ejection of 2020, 1st since Aug 25 (Livensparger; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).
This is Jesse Winker's 1st ejection since May 2, 2019 (Marty Foster; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).
This is Nic Lentz's 1st ejection since August 31, 2019 (Lewis Brinson; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).
This is Dan Bellino's 1st ejection since Sept 11, 2019 (James McCann; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Chicago Cubs vs. Cincinnati Reds (Gm 2), 8/29/20 | Video as follows:

MLB Hires Nic Lentz to Full-Time Umpire Staff

Major League Baseball hired Nic Lentz to its full-time umpire staff, cementing the 30-year-old Michigan native's place in MLB history. Nicolas James Lentz joins the MLBU roster with 485 games of big league experience and eight ejections following his debut in April 2016. He wears the uniform sleeve number 59.

After graduating from the Jim Evans Academy of Professional Umpiring in 2008, Lentz journeyed through Minor League Baseball's Arizona, Florida Instructional, New York-Penn, Midwest, Florida State, Arizona Instructional, Eastern, and International Leagues.

Lentz ejected Boone in August 2018.

He also officiated the offseason Venezuelan and Arizona Fall Leagues. Lentz is the first Coastal Plain League alum to debut in the Major Leagues; fellow MLB call-ups Roberto Ortiz, Shane Livensparger, and John Bacon also are CPL alumni.

New-hire Lentz received the UEFL's Best Ejection of the Year Award in 2018 following his banishment of Aaron Boone in New York over a balls/strikes dispute.

As we noted in the wake of a slew of Yankees ejections in 2019, Boone appears to find himself ejected by Triple-A call-up umpires at a disproportionate rate, and Lentz constitutes the first Triple-A Boone ejector to be subsequently hired by MLB to the full-time staff (Boone has only been managing the Yankees since 2018).
Related Post: 2018 UEFL Award for Ejections of the Year - West & Lentz (11/8/18).

Lentz was one of several young umpires to run a half-marathon this offseason, along with Brennan Miller, Chris Segal, and first-time Spring Training roster invitee Erich Bachus.
Related Post: Triple-A Tradition? Young Umps Run for Charity (2/17/20).

In 2018, we identified Lentz as the MiLB umpire most likely to be hired by Major League Baseball. He fills the vacancy left by the loss of longtime MLB umpire Eric Cooper.
Related Post: Future MLB Hiring Outlook at the 2018 Break (7/16/18).
Related Post: Eric Cooper Dies at 52 Following Blood Clot (10/20/19).